Shelter In Power

About This Episode

The COVID-19 public health crisis has revealed and exacerbated massive vulnerabilities and inequalities in the United States. In the absence of federal leadership, local communities across the country are developing their own responses and fighting back against xenophobia and racist violence. How do communities build power for the post-pandemic future?

Andrew Fan and Sydney Fang explore how Bay Area-based Asian American organizations have been nimble and responsive to the emergent needs of vulnerable Asian Americans during this time through mutual aid and policy advocacy strategies that promote solidarity against forms of white supremacist violence, including worker exploitation, evictions, and discrimination against people with disabilities. 

Guests: 

Alvina Wong

Organizing and Campaigns Director at Asian Pacific Environmental Network (APEN)

Ken Wang

Policy and Compliance Counsel at Chinese Progressive Association (CPA)

Hosts

Sydney Fang

is a candidate for Masters in Public Policy and Masters in Urban Planning degrees at Harvard University. She has spent the past ten years advancing grassroots organizing and policy campaigns for racial, gender, and environmental justice. 

Andrew Fan

is a Master of Public Policy student at the Harvard Kennedy School. His background is in journalism, with a focus on criminal justice issues and racial equity.

Learn More

Resources and Background Reading

Relief Resources

• Relief funds for undocumented workers in California: A list updated weekly by Legal Aid at Work
• COVID-19 Resources for Undocumented Immigrants: Financial, medical, food, legal, mutual aid resources, including nationwide and state-specific resources
• “Unmasking Yellow Peril” zine by 18 Million Rising and the Asian and Asian American Institute at University of Connecticut

Ways to support

1.  Subscribe to COVID19 news updates from APEN for Bay Area, California, National, and International news and resources. https://apen4ej.org/covid-news/

2.  Consider sharing your check and donate to the mutual aid funds to support Nan-Hui Jo, APEN, and CPA. 

• Support Nan-Hui’s Survival #SurvivedAndPunished
• CPA COVID-19 Emergency Stabilization Fund
• Since recording this podcast, APEN has paused collecting contributions to their stabilization fund